Review by Karen Swan.
Some of my fondest memories of childhood are of evenings spent, snuggled and warm in bed, listening to stories read by my Mum or Dad, before I went to sleep. As I got older, my love of reading continued and I would escape into the words and worlds of my favourite authors. To this day, I feel a loss if I don’t have a book to devour when I find some precious time to relax and recharge. In that sense, the bedtime story was more than just a method of winding me down and readying my energetic little body and mind for sleep; it instilled in me a love of reading, of the touch and feel of the pages in a book, and a chance to escape and travel anywhere I wanted to go, all from the warmth of my bed and under the glow of the bedside lamp.
“Wish Soup” by Rachel Larmer and illustrated by Jo Lory, is a beautiful new book brimming with tales that will transport the reader back to childhood and create a space for wonderful adventure and discovery in the imagination of the child being read to. You know, I often find, when I’m reading to my son, that the more I love a story, the better the storytelling, the more engaged I am in creating the mood with my voice and tone. This collection of stories is full of adventure and magic and is nothing short of a joy to read.
What I particularly love about these stories is that they are seasonal, and, so importantly, set among the flora and fauna of our Australian landscape making them instantly recognisable to our children. Rachel’s writing flows effortlessly off the tongue when reading out loud and you very quickly fall into a beautiful rhythm of speech. Actually, as much as we’re big bedtime story readers in my home, I strongly recommend creating a quiet time early in the afternoon, perhaps after lunch, to sit and share a story with your child. If you have little toys or figures that compliment the story, you can create quite the escape!
The illustrations are simply breathtaking! I have such a strong reaction to images like those in the book; they create a feeling of warmth, of closeness to the story and hold my son’s attention long enough for me to read the story without him wanting me to ‘hurry up and turn the page!’
‘Mermaid’s Treasure’ is my favourite and my son simply adores ‘The Rosewood Sword’, but honestly, every story is a treasure. Whether you’re a family interested in the Steiner/Waldorf philosophy or simply want some wholesome, magical stories to share with your children, you’ll find a special place in your heart for Wish Soup.
*Please note: this is NOT a sponsored post
To win this book, simply write on our Facebook wall, or comment when this post is published to our Facebook page, your one wish as a mother. Michelle and Karen will judge the answers. Winner will be notified on Friday 20th November 2015. **Competition now closed.** Congratulations to Chris-Anne Turner in winning this beautiful prize.
